Spontaneous Fluctuations of a Temperature Filament in a Magnetized Plasma

Abstract

This experiment illustrates the spatio-temporal pattern of the uctuations that spontaneously develop in a magnetized temperature lament whose transverse scale is comparable to the electron skin-depth. A high-frequency mode exhibits a striking spiral structure and is identi ed as a drift-Alfv en eigenmode. A low frequency mode is found to be localized near the center of the lament. It is documented that the uctuations signi cantly increase the transport of heat beyond the prediction of classical theory based on Coulomb collisions. PACS numbers: 52.25 Fi, 52.35 Kt, 52.35 Qz, 52.35 Ra, 52.50 Gj Typeset using REVTEX